In hauling cargo comprised of cartons of constant width, such as milk cartons, beer cartons, soft drink cartons and the like, the cartons are typically located in the center of trailer or on the bed of a truck having sides. The cartons are usually placed on a pallet and then driven by a fork lift into the bed of the truck or the trailer. To allow for maneuverability of the fork lift itself, spaces are left at between the cartons and the sides of the truck or trailer. During travel over the road, the cartons will shift laterally back and forth unless there is some stabilizing means which braces the cartons and prevents such shifting movements.
Stabilizers moveable into engagement with cartons on a vehicle have been known and used in the past. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 4,052,083 shows a load bracing device which is suspended from the roof of a vehicle and includes a frame having laterally movable load engaging members attached thereto. A single actuating means is located at one end of the device for expanding and contracting the device into and out of engagement with a load to be braced. Alternate embodiments include load engaging members on the interior sides of the walls of the vehicle. The structure of this disclosure is not satisfactory because the stabilizer is exposed at all times, thereby minimizing the useful cargo space in the vehicle.
Other attempts in the prior art have been made to mount stabilizing panels on the inner surface of the side walls of a vehicle which carries a cargo comprised of constant width cartons or modules. These stabilizing panels, when retracted extend along the side walls of the vehicle and project outwardly a considerable distance from the side walls because the mounting means for the panels is exposed to thereby minimize the space widthwise of the vehicle for receiving loads. Moreover, the ends of the panels are blunt and squared off so that the ends sometimes damage the cartons of the cargo which is being loaded into or taken off the vehicle.
Because of these drawbacks, a need exists for an improved stabilizer for a vehicle for carrying cartons typically of constant width dimension, especially for vehicles having an inner wall and an outer wall spaced outwardly from the inner wall. The present invention satisfies this need.